¥100 vs ¥300 Stores – The Ultimate 100 Yen Store Competition

If you have been living in Japan or traveling the country, you are very familiar with the 100 yen stores called Daiso. You can get anything here. It is a paradise of abundance. But maybe you have found yourself frustrated with the number of times you had to run back because the purchased item repeatedly broke.

In that case, it’s time to give the 300 yen store a try. It promises better quality, better selection, and longer durance of the items. On my travels through Kyushu I found the 300 yen store 3 Coins +plus. It looked clean, organized and the items on display almost seemed too good to be 300 yen. Indeed, when I inspected them closer, they often cost 500-1000 yen. I was a little disappointed and thought to myself: I’m not going to buy this for 1000 yen (it was a bag).

Different finds at the 300 yen store

I browsed through the store and stopped at certain sections and made it a goal to document the prizes and the quality of the items to the ones I found at Daiso.

Is the 300 yen store better than the 100 yen Daiso? Is it worth it to invest in a little more?

Let’s do it!

300 yen store makeup and goods

Makeup I could not find at Daiso…

All-in-all, the makeup sections at the 100 yen store and 300 yen store have a lot to offer. I looked at a brush cleaner mat at the 300 yen store and was pretty sure I could find it cheaper at Daiso. In the weeks that followed I tried to find the cleaner mat at various 100 yen shops and could not find it and honestly, now I regret not grabbing it.

0:1 Point for the 300 yen store.

Daiso Makeup Section

Home Goods: 300 Yen Store’s Prizes are Enormous!

To be honest, the 300 yen store section of plates and cups looked pretty cool! The design and material is a little more fancy but at good 100 Yen stores you can get a wooden plate for less. And let’s be honest, you never just buy one plate, right? I’d go with the 100 yen ones…

Do You Really Shop for Furniture at 100 Yen Stores?

When it comes to furniture, decor and pillows, we know that the 100 yen store ups their prizes to 300 yen. The 300 yen store goes even higher. The prize for a nice shelf is a stunning 1500 yen. The quality seems good but if I am prepared to spend more on a shelf, I go recycle store hunting or see if Ikea has something to offer. But I have to confess that in the time of need and the “don’t want to drive anywhere else”- mood, I spend the 1500 yen for a nice looking shelf. Daiso doesn’t even have furniture…

The 1500 yen shelf

1:2, Point for 300. Here we go.

Variety & Price in comparison

Walking through the 3 Coin shop a few times, I had seen all that was to offer and left, without actually purchasing anything. It was a nice look-around but I couldn’t confirm that it has the same variety as Daiso. Another point for Daiso!

This means: 2:2.

I must point out though, that Daiso usually doesn’t go under 108 yen. The 300 yen store actually offered jewellery for 150 yen or less, which was really cool. I made plans to come back and look at them.

2:3 for the 300 yen store.

It was a close one for sure. All-in-all, I recommend the 300 yen store. Check it out, see if you find a good deal or a product no other store has. But honestly… Daiso with it’s mega selection is hard to beat.